Storms bring minor damage, flooding to southern Wisconsin

A series of thunderstorms hit southern Wisconsin throughout the day Monday, downing trees, tree limbs and utility lines and causing minor flooding.

One of the storms that hit Rock and Green counties came in the evening, hitting Beloit from the south around 8:30 p.m. Emergency responders could be heard dealing with traffic and downed trees and wires.

No injuries were reported.

A round of storms that passed through Walworth County earlier in the day produced large hail, according to the National Weather Service at Sullivan.

A tornado warning was also issued for eastern Walworth County at about 4:35 p.m. after rotation showed up on weather radar, said Marc Kavinsky, weather service meteorologist. That warning was cancelled after less than 20 minutes.

In Rock County, a couple of waves of heavy rain Monday afternoon caused street flooding that led to closures.

Edgerton shut down traffic on a half-mile stretch of Highway 51 between West Rollin Street and Cherry Street for a time.

Edgerton Fire Chief Brian Demrow said runoff overwhelmed storm drains near downtown, and the downtown stretch of Highway 51 was temporarily shut down for safety.

At 9:30 p.m., Rock County sheriff's Sgt. Troy Egger said deputies were busy with storm calls, but no major damage was noted.

“At this point, it's all been just a few trees down. Nothing major at this point, Egger said.

Egger expected calls about downed trees would increase as the storms left the area and people went outside.

Residents reported a funnel cloud near Footville that never touched the ground and dissipated quickly, Egger said. A deputy was dispatched but arrived too late to see the funnel, so it could not be confirmed, Egger said.

More than 1.35 inches of rain was recorded in Janesville before the new wave of storms hit Monday night. Those storms added another half inch by 9:35 p.m.